The invention relates to a fluidized bed apparatus for batch-by-batch or continuous process control of the type having a fluidized bed apparatus formed essentially from one air inlet chamber, one fluidization region, and one gas outlet, with a gas flow device arranged in the region between the air inlet chamber and the fluidization region for supplying fluidization means. The fluidization region is formed by the at least one gas flow device, one jet inlet wall, and one opposite jet return flow wall, as well as the side walls, wherein the jet inlet wall and the jet return flow wall are inclined relative to the vertical such that they form a cone. The fluidized bed apparatus, which forms the processing region can be configured to be one-sided or two-sided, in which a double-sided fluidized bed apparatus, which is formed by two gas flow devices and the corresponding jet inlet walls, jet return flow walls, as well as the side walls, includes an expanded cross section of the fluidized bed apparatus above the jet inlet walls and jet return flow walls, where the outlet for the outgoing air is arranged.
The invention also relates to a method for operating a fluidized bed apparatus, for which there is a batch-by-batch or continuous process control for fluidization and heat treatment of essentially randomly shaped particles with arbitrary dimensions as well as masses. The material to be treated is fluidized in the processing region in a particle flow, and the fluidization means are supplied through a controllable gas flow device from below the processing region.
A fluidized bed apparatus for fluidization and heat treatment of essentially randomly shaped materials with different particle dimensions and particle masses is known from the publication DE 100 04 939 C1. The fluidized bed apparatus for batch-by-batch or continuous process control consists of an air inlet chamber, which is arranged in the lower region of the fluidized bed apparatus and into which the fluidization means, e.g., air, is fed. The fluidization means are supplied to the fluidization region of the fluidized bed apparatus by means of a controllable gas flow device arranged between the air inlet chamber and the fluidization region. The fluidization region is formed by the gas flow device arranged in the lower region and also by a jet inlet wall, a jet return flow wall opposite the jet inlet wall, and also the side walls. The jet inlet wall and the jet return flow wall are inclined relative to the vertical, so that they form a cone. Therefore, above the jet inlet wall and the jet return flow wall, the fluidized bed apparatus has an expanded cross section, which is used as an expansion region for the fluidization means and which is provided with an outlet for the outgoing air. The fluidized bed apparatus thus can be one-sided or two-sided, i.e., it can be formed with a double cone. By the arrangement of the jet inlet wall and the jet return flow wall, as well as by the supply of fluidization means through the gas flow device, a kind of solids rotation, during which an appropriate material treatment is performed, takes place in the fluidization region.
A disadvantage for the described fluidized bed apparatus is that the process to be performed can be influenced as desired only to a small degree in the fluidization region. The dwell time behavior of the material for continuous process control can be influenced only within small limits.